Make use of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History, a comprehensive reference source:

“International in scope and spanning all time periods of human history, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History includes 900 original articles by noted scholars from more than thirty-five countries. Articles range from 500-word entries on inventors, theoreticians, and industry leaders to overarching, 8,000-word essays on markets, industries, and labor. With coverage ranging from accounting and advertising to zoning and zoos, this landmark works stands at the busy intersection of history and the social sciences.”

– Joel Mokyr, Professor of Economics and History, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois